"Most people do not listen with the intent to understand. Most people listen with the intent to reply."

Lesson to learn:

Ask yourself if you're truly listening to others or if you're being distracted by your own chatter. Sometimes, listening means staying silent to give others a chance to talk, soaking it in, then perhaps responding if your response is needed.

"The reason why we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind the scenes with everyone else's highlight reel."

Lesson to learn:

You may think everyone is better than you are, but you are only seeing the image they portray to others. Everyone has their own fears and weaknesses — after all, we're all human. Stop comparing yourself to others, because you'll always come up short.

"You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me, you might be sexier than me, you might be all of those things you got it on me in nine categories. But if we get on the treadmill together, there are two things: You're getting off first, or I'm going to die. It's really that simple, right?"

Lesson to learn:

Someone else may be better than you in some ways, perhaps because they are naturally gifted, but perseverance and hard work can always win out over talent.

"Imagine there is a bank account that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening the bank deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to used during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course? Each of us has such a bank, its name is time. Every morning, it credits you 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off at a lost, whatever of this you failed to invest to a good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no over draft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is yours. There is no drawing against 'tomorrow.' You must live in the present on today's deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and health. The clock is running. Make the most of today."

Lesson to learn:

Make the most of the time you have, because you can never get it back.

The next time you say you're busy, know that it's an excuse. If you truly prioritize something, you will make time for it. Be it relationships, friendships, or something else — you always have time for anything if you make time.

Your dog thinks the world of you. He thinks of you as someone who deserves love, affection, and loyalty. And he sees you for who you are and loves you unconditionally. See yourself through your dog's eyes. Try to be what he thinks you are to the rest of the world — imagine what the difference you can make to the world.

Be careful of what you often think about. If it's something negative, you can become a negative person. On the other hand, if it's something positive, you'll become more positive. Try to think on the bright side of things when you can.

You may be hurt by the truth, but it's better than living with a lie. Use this approach with your loved ones: it's generally better to tell them the truth than to lie to them to make them feel better. Being a good friend sometimes means telling your friends what they need to hear rather than what they want to hear.